Shadow of Night: A Novel

For those of us who have read and reread the first two of Deborah Harkness' All Souls Trilogy novels, I am guessing that like me, you yearn for the third in the series and check her website often. But that kind of quality cannot be rushed so we wait and some of us reread them. These novels are packed with details and character depth that they warrant rereading. I hardly ever reread a book no matter how good the book, nor how bored I am. But there are always exceptions to the rules and I do love those exceptions. Even if you do not like novels with witches and other creatures, even if you would never read Tolkien's books or Harry Potter or anything with magic in it, make an exception and read these. She has an amazing understanding of people (for what does it really matter if a character in a book is somewhat different as her characters are; we are all different in some manner). And she has a way of finding the healthy and loving solutions we would all like in our lives and rarely find in our reading. Deborah Harkness has created a world within our world which is intricate, and exciting; with in-depth characters you love and those you do not; but all of them are believable. As you read you will find that the species of her characters is much less import than their ability to love even when it is difficult and to face their fears and desires. This novel picks up exactly where the last ended and I was lucky for it was available when I finished Discovery or Witches. In this one there are more and delightful characters added. Together they make a whole and set the stage for the third and last book. If you have ever found yourself less than happy with who are, if you have ever known great joy or fear or deep sorrow, if you struggle to master yourself or have problems loving yourself or trusting others, you will find the same struggles within the novels' characters and even better: the hope and joy we all want. In fact, Harkness writes so well that they are more than characters; you may find yourself or friends within her pages. I enjoy historical novels with some mystery within them. There are many authors I can recommend but none do as wonderful a job. Deborah Harkness is an historian and a very, very gifted writer. No wonder she needed to branch out into novels. While I liked historical settings, until these books, I never realized what wealth history can add. These books are not just set in an historical time, they involve real people who she threads through her stories; albeit she takes some artistic license with a few of them yet still gives us something believable. Her approach makes it all the more enjoyable. She writes so well that I actually bought one of her history books. History can be fun if told by an excellent storyteller and Deborah Harkness is that. I should know for I am a story teller and a poet and very difficult to please. "It began with absence and desire, it began with blood and fear, it began with The Discovery of Witches", which is the title of the first book. Long ago, I wrote poems about the same forces in life for desire, blood and fear are central concerns no matter what else comes our way. Oh and few more notes: aside from her first novel debuting at #2 on the New York Times Best Seller list, being named one of the best books of February 2011 by Amazon, and selling in at least 34 countries another tidbit which may interest you is that Warner Bros bought the movie right and hired David Auburn (Lake House) to adapt the stories. And you can bet those of us who have loved her novels are anxiously awaiting the first movie. Check out You Tube for more on that.

FINAL DECISION: A fine continuation of the story of a witch, a vampire and their search which takes them back in time. I loved how this book developed their relationship and challenged their characters through resurrection of their pasts. THE STORY: Diana Bishop, a witch, and Matthew Clairmont, a vampire, have broken the law of creatures by having a romantic relationship. Jumping off from the events in book one, Diana and Matthew have traveled back in time to Elizabethan England in order to find a teacher to help Diana learn about and control her powers. Although the two seek safety in the past, they find that a whole new host of dangers threatens them and their relationship. OPINION: A long and meandering journey through Elizabeth's England where the fictional characters mix with real historical figures, this book develops both the mythology of the trilogy and also the relationship between Diana and Matthew. I enjoyed seeing these characters approach the challenges that face them. The book, which like the others in the series is over 550 pages, asks for a commitment from its readers. Everything is slow and deliberate -- not boring, not pointless -- and takes its time developing both the characters and the plot. At times during the book, I wondered whether the destination would be worth it. While the conclusion excited me about the finale book in the series, the entirety of the development of the relationship between Diana and Matthew and their own working out of their own challenges from their past snagged me for every page. The book doesn't always go in the way that I expected it to and it is certainly an epic read. It does suffer somewhat from being part of the trilogy and the middle book at that. At the end of the book there is no real conclusion -- because there is one more book. Thus, this book doesn't truly stand on its own and requires reading both the first and third books in the series. WORTH MENTIONING: The historical expertise of the author is put to good use here. The past feels authentic and I enjoyed using this book as a springboard to learn more about the real historical figures depicted in the book. CONNECTED BOOKS: SHADOW OF NIGHT is the second book in the All Souls Trilogy. The book should be read as part of the trilogy. STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

Boa continuação do primeiro livro e deixa um gancho muito bom para o segundo. Excelente continuação, e deixa o leitor afoito para ler a conclusão. Série muito boa, adorei. Abordagem muito singular sobre criaturas. Excelente.

Deborah knows how to mix up fantasy romance and historic facts into one great amusing story. Nice twists here and there.

"Shadow of Night" è un viaggio affascinante e immersivo che porta il lettore in un mondo dove storia, magia e romanticismo si intrecciano con maestria. Deborah Harkness dimostra ancora una volta il suo talento nel tessere una narrazione ricca e avvincente, elevando la trilogia All Souls a un livello superiore con questo secondo capitolo. Il romanzo riprende da dove ci aveva lasciato A Discovery of Witches, portando Diana Bishop e Matthew Clairmont indietro nel tempo, nella vibrante epoca dell'Inghilterra elisabettiana. L'ambientazione storica è incredibilmente dettagliata e realistica, segno dell'impressionante ricerca svolta dall'autrice. Ogni scena trasporta il lettore nelle strade affollate e nei salotti intellettuali del XVI secolo, offrendo un'esperienza di lettura quasi cinematografica. Uno degli aspetti più apprezzabili di Shadow of Night è la capacità della Harkness di bilanciare i vari elementi della trama: c'è la tensione romantica, l'intrigo storico, l'avventura e, naturalmente, la magia. Il ritmo è ben calibrato, con momenti di azione che si alternano a riflessioni più profonde e a dialoghi brillanti. Se siete fan del primo libro, questo sequel non vi deluderà. Shadow of Night espande il mondo di All Souls in modi sorprendenti, preparandoci a un finale che si preannuncia epico. È un romanzo che cattura il cuore e la mente, perfetto per chi ama le storie che mescolano storia, fantasy e romanticismo in un mix irresistibile. Consigliatissimo!

I really loved reading this book and took my time to read it as well because I enjoyed reading it so much and wanted to grasp every detail. Deborah Harkness woves her words together wonderfully and draws her characters interesteringly and with depth and passion. It is a joy reading her work and getting a glimpse into her imagination. I often had goosebumps reading it.

Part of the all souls trilogy.. am hooked